This invention relates to monitoring systems for elevators, escalators, moving walks, and similar devices. In particular, this invention relates to a system for remotely monitoring and diagnosing the operation and status of a single elevator or a group of elevators, escalators, moving walks, or the like.
Elevators, escalators, moving walks, and similar devices are relied upon by building owners and the public to provide reliable and safe operation to move people and supplies. A malfunction by an elevator, escalator, moving walk, or similar device can result in immediate inconvenience to the riders. Further, malfunctions can result in unanticipated repair costs incurred by building owners, the loss of value to buildings, and the loss of prospective or existing building tenants. Often, malfunctions may be short lived problems that are easily identified, diagnosed, and resolved. However, some malfunctions are not easily diagnosed and identified. These malfunctions may be intermittent problems or problems that appear only for a brief period of time or under very specific conditions.
Malfunctions may occur due to the complexity and nature of the control systems for elevators, escalators, moving walks, and similar devices. Typically, control systems may include various electrical systems and components, including wiring, relays, resistors, terminals, contacts, sensors, etc. The control systems are configured for elevator functions, such as starting, stopping, communications, leveling, positioning, lighting, signaling, sensors, alarms, and the like. More modern control systems may also include microprocessor or computer-based systems for data acquisition, decision making, error analysis, scheduling maintenance tasks, communicating, and informational displays. Control systems may also include pumps, motors, clutches, selectors, brakes, motor-generator sets, verniers, silicon controlled rectifiers, belts, digital encoders, and sensors of all types, including optical and magnetic.
Malfunctions may also occur due to the age of the control equipment. While many elevator control systems have been modernized every 20 to 25 years with sophisticated computer based controls, many existing elevator control systems have not been modernized and are still functioning long after the useful life of the original control system has been exceeded. These obsolete control systems will incur malfunctions due to the age, brittleness, and obsolescence of the electrical controls.
When a malfunction occurs, service personnel are faced with diagnosing the problem or problems and implementing a timely repair. Diagnosing minor malfunctions can often be accomplished on-site through the experience and expertise of service personnel without the use of sophisticated or complex diagnostic equipment. However, many malfunctions cannot be diagnosed and corrected as easily. If the cause of the malfunction is not readily apparent or if the service personnel is not on-site to observe the cause of the malfunction, the diagnosis can be difficult and the resolution elusive.
Older control systems typically do not have diagnostic equipment incorporated with the control systems. More modern control systems often have diagnostic equipment incorporated within the control system to aid in the diagnostic effort. However, the diagnostic equipment incorporated within more modern control systems often provide limited information and only for pre-defined control circuits or control points. Additionally, modern control systems often provide information for other purposes, such as maintenance tasks, which do not assist the service personal in diagnosing and resolving malfunctions. When the control system does not have diagnostic equipment incorporated within the control system or the incorporated diagnostic does not have the capacity to address the malfunction, the service personnel may have difficulty diagnosing the malfunctions on a timely and efficient basis.
For all of these reasons, it would be advantageous to provide a diagnostic system that is capable of being easily adapted to all forms and vintages of elevators, escalators, moving walks, and other similar devices, and further that provides the user with many capabilities to monitor user selected circuits and control points to easily diagnose malfunctions.